Soup to Feed the World

A good soup or stew comes from many ingredients – vegetables, grain, legumes, meats, spices, broths – and a good long simmer over low heat. When I accompanied a group of youth to Zimbabwe several years ago, many of the meals we ate included “special sauce.” Served with a ladle, it could be used over sadza, rice, bread, meat, or eaten by itself. It was nourishing, delicious and we all missed it when we came home, even though it never tasted the same two days in a row (and we never really did figure out what was in it). It was clear, though, that our cook began with a vision each day.

Food for Thought has been a bit like a good soup, stew or that special sauce. The Indiana Humanities Council provided something we could all savor. WFYI has been pleased to work with the Indiana Humanities Council and many other organizations to bring these provocative conversations to citizens in Indiana.  Each partner has added their own special flavors and ingredients to the soup.  Some have tended food and hunger as topics for decades. Others have added new spices to the mix for all sorts of reasons. Each partner has seasoned the soup with our own approaches, audiences, tools, and points of view. 

Some of us have worked together for years — those good, long simmers that result in trust and creativity in equal measure. Others of us have worked together for the first time in productive new combinations. We’ve met people through this initiative who have introduced us to cultures, destinations, processes, policies, organizations, and topics. These little tastes left us hungry for more. Best of all, like any good soup, this partnership has become more delicious over time, with ingredients that act to bring out the best in each other.  The pot is still cooking! Sample a spoonful or add something new.

Bon appétit!

This post was written by Gail Strong, outreach director at WFYI. WFYI will air “Food for Thought: How Hoosiers Can End Hunger” on March 8 at 7 p.m., on 90.1 FM. Tune in to learn about hunger and its impact on Indiana and the world.

*If you add your voice to this hunger conversation (meaning you make a comment, below), you’ll be registered to win a signed copy of Enough!